Most modern swimming pools have circulation and filtration systems, one component of which is known as a “skimmer.” A skimmer is a relatively simple structure which involves a skimmer well positioned adjacent to the pool with the top of the well lying slightly below the normal water level of the pool. A conduit (filter opening) extends between the skimmer well wall and the pool wall, and opens, respectively, at points near the top of the skimmer well and near, but just below, the normal water level in the pool.
At the bottom of the skimmer well is an orifice (filter passage) through which water in the skimmer well is drawn in by a vacuum pump and returned to the pool in an endless cycle. Over time, all the water in the pool will pass through the skimmer, and, under ordinary conditions, items floating on top of the water will eventually flow into the skimmer well.
A highly perforated skimmer basket is sized and shaped to sit within the skimmer well and serves as a strainer to trap leaves or other items which flow into the skimmer. An improved pool skimmer basket having vent means which permit continued circulation of water through the pool skimmer basket, even when all filtration perforations are clogged, is subject to U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,350 to Voss et al, wherein the basket, in its preferred embodiment, exhibits a centrally positioned skimmer “vent tower” which extends from the bottom of the basket to a point at least slightly above the upper rim of the basket. This both reduces the likelihood that debris will obstruct all of the vent tower orifices and allows water to exit the vent tower as the basket is withdrawn from the well to facilitate such withdrawal through the access opening while the vacuum pump is in operation.
A frequent problem encountered by pool owners is the variety in sizes and/or constructions of skimmers and, consequently, different sizes of pool skimmer baskets necessary to fit them. This, in turn, causes pool owners to forgo using the existing design of the skimmer vent tower. For instance, if the swimming pool has a different size skimmer and/or requires a different size skimmer basket (than the one disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,350), the pool owner is prevented from utilizing the skimmer vent tower, which leaves him no option but to resort to currently available skimmer baskets without the skimmer vent tower advantage.
Thus, there is a need to use the existing design of the skimmer vent tower as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,350 on any skimmer basket and/or any skimmer well without requiring modification of either part, thus making the existing design universal.